1. Technological Field
The present disclosure relates generally to the field of wireless networks, and specifically in one implementation, to apparatus and methods for enabling a wireless client device to host, exchange, and transfer data to/from other wireless client devices. Various disclosed embodiments additionally extend and enhance wireless networks without requiring additional network service elements.
2. Description of Related Technology
Wireless networking technologies enable wireless devices to connect to one another. One common application for wireless technology is to provide network access to devices that are within a coverage area of a wireless network that is connected to the Internet. One such technology is Wi-Fi™ (IEEE Std. 802.11), which has become the de facto standard for wireless networking in consumer electronics. Wi-Fi enables multiple interconnected Access Points (APs, also commonly referred to as “hotspots”) to provide coverage areas ranging from those as small as local coffee shops or residences, to entire corporate and academic campuses.
Commercially, Wi-Fi provides high value services in, for example, airports, hotels, and restaurants. Businesses and/or promotional events often provide Internet service to attract customers. Artisans of ordinary skill in the related arts will readily appreciate that typical wireless APs have an effective connectivity range on the order of one hundred (100) feet, depending on factors such as the presence or absence of buildings or other structures (and their materials of construction), and other interfering emitters. Large coverage areas can be formed by grouping together a number of APs with overlapping coverage. Unfortunately, large Wi-Fi deployments require significant upfront network planning, and capital outlays. Network providers must often trade-off coverage and/or quality of service (QoS) for cost considerations.
One current solution for expanding network coverage is so-called “mesh networking.” In mesh networks, each node can relay messages to other nodes of the network; relaying may occur via any number of intermediary nodes (i.e., “hops”). Existing mesh networking technologies encompass fully connected meshes (i.e., where each node is connected to all other nodes) as well as partially-connected meshes (i.e., where nodes are connected to some subset of the total network). Mesh networks may employ both routing addressing (i.e., unicast) and so-called “flooding” address schemes (i.e., broadcast/multicast).
Mesh networking technologies are often useful in decentralized use cases; however, centralized network management is significantly complicated by the fluidly changing mechanics and/or topologies of mesh networks. Additionally, existing mesh network technologies have not been readily incorporated within the context of wireless local area networks (WLANs). For example, incipient research into implementing mesh networking within WLANs has largely been confined to service nodes (e.g., only the APs are meshed). In such deployments, the wireless controllers manage the service nodes and wireless clients in a controlled environment, and the wireless devices connect via a traditional network service (e.g., legacy Wi-Fi operation).
To these ends, solutions are needed to extend and enhance existing network technologies. Specifically, desirable solutions and improvements would enable wireless network providers to expand their coverage over larger areas, preferably with minimal outlays of capital and/or network infrastructure (e.g., APs), and with substantial flexibility.